The Matron: A New Horror Icon
A cutting miniseries for our times—at the intersection of socially conscious drama, folk horror, and slasher aesthetics—the first issues of The Matron will be available months earlier than the marketplace for those who pre-order graphic novel Volume I through our Kickstarter campaign, which also offers swag and multiple perks like getting yourself drawn into the comic as a background character or victim of the titular ax-wielder.
The Matron—co-created and co-written by Drew Edwards and me—uses horror to explore the many contours of the Texas Hill Country, from its breathtaking landscapes and complex history to the rich blend of Mexican American, Czech, and German culture that makes it unique. Set during February 2021, in the midst of the Great Texas Freeze, The Matron centers on how folks in small towns throughout our state grapple with issues of gentrification, eminent domain abuse, and infrastructure collapse. Playing with bits of Slavic mythology that are still preserved by some Czech Texan households, The Matron imagines a “folk-horror response” to societal ills that are increasingly at the forefront of our hearts and minds.
Though intended to appeal to a wide range of readers, the miniseries will especially resonate for fans of Pearl, Scream, The Walking Dead, Us, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Harrower.
Synopsis of Volume 1. On February 12, 1975, the Averno County sheriff department put an end to the reign of terror of Rozina Krenek, aka the Matron, a cannibalistic serial killer who had plagued the Texas Hill Country for decades wearing a wooden mask and cloak while wielding a bearded ax. Forty-six years later, the Matron’s granddaughter Zina is a middle-aged waitress struggling to make a living in the increasingly gentrified center of Ascuas, a small town near San Antonio. More than anything, she wants to see her granddaughter Roz graduate from college and have a more comfortable life than the rest of the Krenek clan.
Roz appreciates the opportunity, but also wants to untangle herself from her cursed family and their hillbilly ways. Against their wishes, she is living at the dorms and has started a romantic relationship with Samantha Maldonado, whose grandfather was the very sheriff who killed the Matron.
The town welcomes the media attention brought by the anniversary of the Matron’s demise, even as meteorologists warn of a possible blizzard. In the midst of this tension, the owners of the diner where Zina works put her on notice: they are selling to outside investors, and she no longer has a job. Zina at first pleads with her bosses, then gets angry. Nothing works.
Outside, freezing wind begins to sweep the streets of Ascuas, and after nearly fifty years of fighting the urges inside her, Zina Krenek snaps. For, you see, Zina was meant to take up the mask, cloak, and ax. And now that the world is turning against her and her kin, it’s time for the Matron to rise once more to slice away power, privilege, and a pound of flesh
A PEEK INSIDE
Here is some sequential art, featuring a flashback to the final showdown between the first Matron and the Averno County Sheriff’s Department!
WHAT MAKES THIS TITLE UNIQUE?
Authentic Texas Horror. David and Drew are both native Texans. They strive to create horror that arises from real tensions in the Lone Star state and that is deeply rooted in place and in the intersection of cultures — Czech, Mexican, German, Anglo American, etc. — that make Central Texas especially unique.
Slavic Mythology. A lot of the aesthetics, folklore, supernatural elements, and peculiar narrative twists in The Matron arise from Slavic mythology broadly and Czech legend in particular. Few other horror properties in the US explore this particular niche, and we think that readers will find that texture compelling and enjoyable.
Emotional Heft. Family and community dynamics are the beating heart of this IP, and the ties that bind folks together get severed in shocking ways that have real consequences. Dr. Ezekiel Gavin, the lone survivor of the first Matron, has been grappling with the fallout from his encounter for so long, his will to fight may have been extinguished. The Matron also explores the fraught romance between Roz Krenek and Sam Maldonado, who find that the damage their families have caused each other may be an unsurmountable obstacle for their relationship.
MAIN CHARACTERS
THE CREATIVE TEAM
Writer/Creator
David Bowles is an award-winning Mexican American author and translator from South Texas. Among his more than forty books are two graphic novel series: the Eisner-nominated Clockwork Curandera and the critically hailed Tales of the Feathered Serpent. He has worked on multiple TV and film projects, including Victor & Valentino (Cartoon Network), Monsters and Mysteries in America (Discovery), and the Mexica mini-series (Amazon / Amblin). David presently serves as the president of the Texas Institute of Letters and co-editor-in-chief of Chispa Comics.
Writer/Creator
Drew Edwards is an award-winning comic book writer, horror film historian, music journalist, rock promoter, and showman extraordinaire. While he is best known as the writer and creator of the Best of Austin winning and twice Ringo-nominated underground comic book series, Halloween Man, thousands also tune in each week to hear him as a cast member of the horror movie podcast, Castle of Horror. Drew has helped bridge the horror and comic culture worlds within Austin’s legendary music scene with his annual “Punk vs. Rockabilly” showcase during SXSW.
Illustrator
Monica Gallagher is a writer and illustrator making comics with a positive, feminist spin. Among her many projects are Assassin Roommate (which won a Ringo award for Best Hero in 2018), and BOO! It’s Sex with Danielle Corsetto. She’s the co-writer/co-creator of Comixology’s The Black Ghost series with Alex Segura, and she adapted and illustrated the romance novel Anti-Stepbrother for Crazy Maple Studio. Monica also self-publishes the series Bonnie N. Collide, Nine to Five, and The Biggest Bigfoot. She lives in Austin with her husband.
Colorist
Harry Saxon has worked with numerous magazines and publishing houses, both in his native Greece and abroad. He is a member of the Greek Comics Academy and he was one of the 2023 judges of the Animasyros International Animation Festival. Among his best-known work is Vagrant Queen (the basis for the Syfy TV show with the same title), Sex Death Revolution (Black Mask Comics), Killer Queens, and Killer Queens v2 (Dark Horse Comics). Harry has been nominated for an Eisner and a GLAAD Media Award (twice).
SUPPORT US!
Now that you’ve given the project a glimpse, head on over to the Kickstarter page and secure your copy of Volume I well in advance of the general public!
